"In this project, I continue to reflect on themes of vulnerability and shelter. We see figures viewed from behind; we don’t know who they are, what they are doing there, or why they’re hiding in the garden. Are they resting or taking refuge? Are these healing plants or dangerous ones?

Is this garden an illusion or an inner sanctuary? Is it an escape or an attempt to find clarity?

The garden is a space of slow time. The images in these works create a field open to multiple interpretations.

In addition to the paintings, this series includes a photograph printed using the silkscreen technique. I took this photo last autumn when I traveled for my grandfather’s funeral. It was made in his garden. It resembles a portal—or a burrow—and the viewer may decide for themselves where this path leads.

Is the garden a place of contemplative clarity or a form of escapism? How does memory transform physical space into a mental construct? At what point does shelter become confinement?"

– Mariia Ermolenko

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